Herbal Medicine Cordyceps sinensis Improves Health-Related Quality of Life in Moderate-to-Severe Asthma

Authors: Ningqun Wang, Jie Li, Xiaobo Huang, Wenqiang Chen, and Yujing Chen

Journal: Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Study Design: Randomized controlled trial

Participants: 120 subjects with moderate-to-severe asthma

Intervention:

• Treatment group (n = 60): Corbrin capsule (from Hangzhou Huadong Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. containing 1.2 g of Cordyceps sinensis) three times per day for three months, in addition to standard asthma therapy (inhaled corticosteroid and long-acting β2-adrenergic agonist as needed)
• Control group (n = 60): Standard asthma therapy only (inhaled corticosteroid and long-acting β2-adrenergic agonist as needed)

Outcome Measures:

• Primary outcome: Health-related quality of life (HR-QOL) assessed using the Juniper’s Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ)
• Secondary outcomes:
  • Incidence of asthma exacerbation
  • Pulmonary function testing (forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), mean peak expiratory flow (PEF), and FEV1/forced vital capacity)
  • Serum levels of inflammatory mediators (IgG, IgE, MMP9, IFN-γ, IL-4, and ICAM-1)

Summary: The study aimed to investigate the effects of Cordyceps sinensis on health-related quality of life (HR-QOL) and inflammation in patients with moderate-to-severe asthma. The results showed that the treatment group, which received Cordyceps sinensis in addition to standard therapy, experienced a significant improvement in HR-QOL compared to the control group. The treatment group also showed improvements in lung function and a decrease in inflammatory markers. The study concluded that Cordyceps sinensis may be a beneficial adjunctive therapy for improving HR-QOL, lung function, and the inflammatory profile in patients with moderate-to-severe asthma.